Multiple gunshots fired from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have hit a Republic of Korea (ROK) guard post inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), Yonhap News Agency reported.

According to the ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the incident took place in Cheorwon, the central section of the inter-Korean border in Gangwon Province, at around 7:41 a.m. on Sunday.

The ROK responded by firing two shots toward the DPRK and issued broadcast warnings, the JCS said in the release, adding that no casualties or damage to ROK facilities were reported.

"We are taking actions via inter-Korean communication lines to grasp the detailed situation and prevent any further incidents. And we are also maintaining a necessary readiness posture," the JCS said.

The DMZ, which stretches 250 kilometers from east to west and four kilometers from north to south, has divided the Korean Peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice that left the peninsula in a technical state of war.

(Cover image: Republic of Korea soldiers stand guard in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Cheorwon, ROK, October 2, 2018. /Reuters)